Beth Laurence
by Mackintoshiba
Summary: Beth lives and marries someone no one could have anticipated. Warning! This story contains adult content and is not suitable for young readers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello again to all my readers! I had planned on making this a oneshot, but the plot bunnies keep running around in my head, so I'm going to keep going. I want to say thank you to autumnrose2010 and Isaiah Flamez for the reviews. I honestly didn't expect any feedback for this story. This is a prequel chapter explaining how Beth and Mr. Laurence begin their relationship. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Little Women.

Chapter 1: The Awakening

Beth turned sideways to view her profile in the mirror, casting a nervous glance around the attic to make sure none of her sisters were about. She wasn't the type of girl who normally worried about her appearance and she was afraid the concern for how she looked would give her away. She hadn't told a soul about her plan. There was no one she could really confide in. She loved her parents and her sisters, but they all saw her the same way. Ever since scarlet fever had weakened her heart as a child, she'd been seen as an invalid by nearly everyone. It was true, she did get tired more easily than others, but she refused to see herself as weak, at least not in spirit.

Her disposition had always been less vivacious than her sisters and she tended to fade into the background, but she couldn't let that happen today. She licked her lips and ran the plated comb through her long red hair one more time. She wasn't going to put it up today like a proper lady. She'd seen Mr. Laurence looking at it on more than one occasion and she suspected he'd like to run his fingers through it. She looked herself in the mirror and nodded once. Her resolve was solid. Today might be her only chance to change her life for the better.

Beth wasn't sure the exact moment she'd realized she was in love with Mr. Laurence, her neighbor. It was more like something that occurred to her gradually until it seemed she'd always been aware of it. She thought of him constantly and went to visit him under the pretext of practicing on his piano as often as she could. On her last visit, something alarming had happened and Beth knew she had to act quickly if she was to avert disaster. He had mentioned that he ought to simply give her the piano so she wouldn't have to leave her house to practice. Beth had been horrified and unable to think of a good reason to protest. She had one now. She'd spent the last two days thinking about all of her options carefully.

Although she was shy and retiring, Beth was also levelheaded. With so little attention paid to her, she knew she had to think about her future or no one else would. She understood that due to her poor health, her lack of fortune, and her retiring disposition, it was unlikely she would ever marry. It didn't matter how she felt about these things. She accepted them as the truth. She had one opportunity now to change her fate and she couldn't let it pass.

Deciding that nothing else could be done to her appearance without arousing suspicion, Beth put on her cloak, bid her sisters farewell and made the trek across the Laurence's property. She felt like a gambler risking all her money on a single bet.

Beth arrived at Mr. Lawrence's study with her heart hammering in her chest. Other than a single maid she had passed on her way, the house appeared to be quiet. Laurie was occupied with his tutor in another wing of the house this time of day. She breathed a sigh of relief to see the stately gentleman reading the paper at his desk. Sometimes when she arrived the study was completely empty and she was left to cope with bitter disappointment.

When he saw her, his eyes lit up and he immediately set aside the morning edition of the New York Times. Years ago, he'd told her mother that Beth reminded him of his daughter who had passed away many years ago and it gave him joy to see her piano in use again. Beth had no doubt that had been true at the time, but as she grew and matured into a young woman, she suspected his feelings had slowly changed, as hers had. In the beginning, he went about his own business while she practiced on the piano. Other than occasionally providing her with new sheet music, their interaction was very limited. Lately, something had shifted, and she could feel his eyes on her while she played. It was almost as if she could feel his gaze roving over her hands while they stroked the keys or hair as she gently tossed it over her shoulder. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew that he was imagining touching her and she found herself imagining it, too.

"Good morning, Beth," he said softly, almost whispering her name like a prayer.

"Good morning, Mr. Laurence," she replied back automatically. Instead of going directly to the piano as usual, she approached his desk. "May I speak to you for a moment, Sir? I don't wish to disturb you."

He waived away her concern, "You never disturb me, my dear. What's on your mind?"

"When I was here last, you mentioned giving me the piano. I meant to thank you for your great kindness, but I was so overwhelmed. I know what a generous gift it would be, but I wanted to ask you not to give it."

He frowned in confusion, "You don't want me to give you the piano?"

Beth shook her head, "It's very kind of you, but coming here is one of the only times when I leave the house unchaperoned and do something for myself. I take great pleasure in walking here and practicing and in seeing you, Mr. Laurence. I consider you my greatest friend. I'm afraid that without the piano here, I would lose the opportunity to come and it's the dearest thing to my heart."

Lawrence looked at her in surprise. He'd been trying to tell himself for months that he was imagining the changes in her. That when he noticed the curve of her breasts or the shape of her waist that he was being a dirty old man. He certainly never could have brought himself to mention how his feelings for her were changing, not when he believed she saw him as nothing more than a kindly neighbor. It appeared that she was more mature than he'd been prepared to give her credit for. A tiny ember of hope burned in the back of his mind. He was afraid if he acknowledged it, it would be snuffed out immediately, but he could feel it all the same.

Lawrence reached out and squeezed Beth's hand. "Our time together is dear to me as well. I promise not to deliver the piano or to do anything that would put it in jeopardy."

"Thank you," Beth smiled at him and her resolve faltered. Perhaps they could go on exactly as they were. Perhaps they could continue to simply be friends and neighbors. But she knew in her heart that would never be enough. She wanted more from him than friendship. She wanted his heart and however much it made her blush to think about it, she wanted his body as well. She looked down at him through her long lashes and found her courage. She reached out to cup his face in her hands and leaned down to press a soft kiss to his cheek. It could have been innocent. If she was still a young girl, it would have been, but she was a woman now. It lasted a trifle longer than appropriate and she breathed in the slightly musky scent of him for a moment before she pulled away. She was aware of how his breath hitched and he sat perfectly still, looking at her with a silent question in his eyes. Afraid to speak and break the spell, Beth leaned down and kissed him again, this time tenderly on the lips.

She had never kissed a man other than her father and her stomach flip flopped as she marveled at her own boldness. It was true, this could ruin her, but it was also her only chance at happiness. She prayed that he wouldn't push her away and she sighed in contentment as he returned the kiss and drew her close to him until she was sitting on his lap. He reached behind her head and tangled his hand in her hair. Beth shifted her weight on her his lap and felt his hardness underneath his trousers. He moaned in response and she smiled against his mouth. She'd been thinking about this for months. She'd spent so many nights imagining how his mouth would feel against hers and how it would feel to be intimate with a man. She thought she would go mad with wanting, but now the time was finally here. Boldly, she ran her tongue along his lips until he granted her access to his open mouth. Greedily, Beth plundered its wet warmth. Her fragile health had made her more aware of how limited their time on earth was, and she wasn't about to waste another moment without having this man. She reached down and stroked his erect member through his trousers. This was so much better than what she had read in the scandalous stories she'd managed to get her hands on or what she overheard whispered between her sisters. This was real. Her desire of so many months was about to be fulfilled.

Gently, but firmly, Laurence gripped her shoulders and pulled her away from him. "My sweet girl, do you understand what you're asking? I offer you everything, my life, my hand, my home"-

"Shhh, not now," Beth put a finger to his lips to silence him. "I have long believed that my health meant I would never marry. I'm no longer certain this is the case, but I have yet to get used to the idea of marriage. I think now that I've outlived my family's expectations, they're no longer sure what to do with me. As the wife of someone so important, I would be expected to go out into society a great deal. I don't know if that's something I can do. You know how frightened I am of crowds and meeting new people. I wonder if I might do better to remain a spinster. As long as we remain neighbors, we can continue our visits. Our lives need not change entirely, only improve in this one respect. And I know the gossip and censure you might face taking a wife so much younger, not to mention what Laurie or Jo would say. Might it not be better for now, for us to continue as we are in private?"

"I'm powerless to deny you anything, but I beg you to think carefully before we proceed. You may change your mind one day and to wish to marry some other younger man only to find that you've ruined your prospects here with me."

Beth smiled sweetly, stroking his beard, "There will be no one else besides you, Mr. Laurence. I've loved you ever so long." Suddenly she sat perfectly still, aware of what she'd just said. Silently she cursed herself. Surely, now he would be driven away by her silly girlish foolishness.

Instead he drew her toward him again, running his hands over her back. "I've loved you as well," he said, "I thought it was simply a cross that I must bear alone. Alright, we'll say no more about it now," he said as he caressed her sides. "No corset," he whispered hoarsely in her ear.

"I thought it would be easier for you to undress me without it," she whispered back, looking over at him with a coquetry he hadn't known she possessed.

"And where, pray tell, did you imagine this intimate act to take place?" he asked, gripping the edge of the desk with one hand, trying to maintain control of himself.

"On the rug in front of the fire," she said simply, standing up and taking her place by the hearth.

Laurence suppressed a groan as he stood, painfully aware of how hard he was at the sight of her. His rational mind knew that he should feel ashamed, like what he was doing was immoral. That part of his mind had mostly shut down and all he could think was that he'd never felt so blessed. This young beautiful woman was here in his home, telling him that she trusted him, loved him, and wanted him with no conditions. He couldn't imagine any other man having such an offer. He removed his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. He walked to the fireplace with slow measured strides.

Beth turned and presented her back to him, "Might you help me with the buttons?" she asked, looking up at him with her bright green eyes. Without replying, he set to work, as quickly and carefully as he could. When the last button was undone, he ran his hands along the smooth skin of her back. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" he whispered, his lips almost touching her ear.

"No, it's the opposite. Everywhere you touch me I feel like I'm on fire."

Laurence reached inside her dress and drew his hands across her abdomen and up to her breasts. He cupped them in both hands and pressed her body against his. She moaned as he worked his thumbs over her nipples. She'd never felt so much desire in her young life. She felt the wetness between her thighs and thought that she'd die if she couldn't have all of him soon.

She took her arms out of the dress and let the fabric pool on the floor around her feet. She turned to face him in only her pantaloons. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him and started working on the buttons of his vest. "Mr. Laurence, please," she begged as she helped him shrug out of his vest and shirtsleeves.

He smiled and said, "I think under the circumstances that you'd better call me Joseph." She nodded fervently and started working the buttons on his trousers. When they both were divested of the last of their clothing, Joseph laid her down gently on the sheepskin rug in front of the fire. He gently dipped his fingers inside her sex, amazed at how wet she was.

He looked at her in silent petition one last time as he positioned himself above her. She guided his member to her entrance and he pushed inside her one long stroke. She cried out and sunk her teeth into his shoulder. The combination of her warmth around his cock and her teeth on his skin was the most arousing thing he'd ever felt. Beth felt a twinge of discomfort as he entered her and then a rush of pleasure as he filled her completely. She waited in silent ecstasy, unsure of what to do next. When he began to pump into her in slow strokes, she fought not to cry out. Instead she whispered into his ear, "Oh yes, please don't stop."

It pushed him over the edge. The gripped her hips and ploughed into her with several hard fast pumps and then he was shooting his white seed into her waiting womb. It was several long seconds before he recovered himself enough to speak. "I'm sorry. I meant for it to last longer and be slower, but you were so tight and hot, I couldn't help myself."

"Oh, is it supposed to last longer?" Beth asked dreamily. "I enjoyed it. It felt wonderful while it lasted."

Laurence resolved then that he couldn't let her leave until she found her pleasure. "I want to help you find release, as I did. May I touch you?"

Beth looked up at him in confused trepidation, "I don't understand. Can women find release as men do?"

"It's similar, but not the same. Do you trust me?"

"Absolutely."

He reached down to the mound of brown curls between her legs and found the sensitive nub there. She cried out in pleasure as he slipped two of his fingers inside her and worked the nub back and forth. After a few minutes, she clamped her muscles around his fingers and cried out. He felt her whole body go slack. She looked up at him in wonder, "I didn't know such a feeling existed. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."

"I promise to show you every pleasure in time, but I think for the moment, we must right ourselves and you must return to your family. They'll wonder why you've been gone so long."

After Laurence carefully rebuttoned her dress, she turned to face him and he cupped her face in his hands. "My Beth, no one is dearer to me than you. I promise to do all in my power to see that you live a full and happy life."

Beth took her leave and skipped most of the way home. She felt like she could fly.


	2. Chapter 1: The Awakening

Beth hummed quietly to herself as she made the mile and a half walk to the Laurence house. It was true that it was much larger than her own small cottage, but she no longer felt intimidated by its grandeur. If the past year had taught her anything, it was that she was content with the life she had. She was happy to watch her sisters go out and enjoy all the amusements life held for them, but Beth wasn't that sort of girl. She thought about the ball they'd all attended the assembly room and smiled. Meg had every dance on her card filled. Despite her boyish nature, Jo had greatly enjoyed the evening, chatting with many friends who were both men and women. Beth was the quietest of the three and she spent most of the evening waiting on Aunt Marge, their chaperone for the evening.

She wasn't saddened to think she would likely never leave home. It was the opposite. She was grateful. She could remain in her cottage where she felt most at home and comfortable. She would be there to care for her parents in their old age. It comforted her to know that she need never leave the life she was so happy with. No one, least of all her more vivacious sisters, would suspect that she was intimately familiar with the physical act of love.

Wet snow clung to the laces of Beth's boots and by the time she arrived at the Laurence residence she could feel the moisture starting to seep into her stockings, but her cold feet were the furthest thing from her mind. Her entire body hummed with anticipation. Her nipples, already hard, sent shivers through her body every time they brushed against the soft fabric of the chemise under her dress. She often went about at home without her corset and saw no reason to start wearing now. It would only make undressing and dressing more time consuming. She licked her lips as she looked forward to the release she would certainly experience within the hour. It had been nearly a week since she had last seen her lover and her body cried out for his touch.

When Beth arrived at Mr. Laurence's study, he was seated behind the large mahogany desk. Beth had grown very fond of that desk in recent months. She'd cried out in ecstasy on its surface more times than she could count. Mr. Laurence set aside the copy of the Times he'd been reading and greeted her cordially. Beth returned his greeting with all the civility expected from a shy young woman in the presence of an intimidating man. They were both conscious of how many servants were about in a large house and how careful they needed to be.

At last, satisfied that they were alone, Mr. Laurence closed the door to his study and locked it with the silver key he kept on a chain in his pocket. Beth turned to him, a bright eagerness in her eyes. "Are we quite alone?" she asked, excitement giving her voice a breathy quality.

A smile twitched under Mr. Laurence's white mustache, "Quite alone, my dear."

Without delay, Beth closed the distance between them and pressed her small body against his much larger one. Her pulse quickened and desire thrummed in every part of her. It was getting harder to keep this part of her life separate and under control. Insistently, she pressed her lips against his and demanded entry to his mouth with her tongue. A chuckle bubbled up from somewhere deep inside him, "We're very eager today, aren't we, Miss Beth?"

With effort, she pulled far enough away from him to look up and meet his eyes, "Yes, Mr. Laurence. I've been trying to get away to see you all week. Every day I'd come up with a plan and then something would go wrong and I wouldn't be able to come. Mother wanted me to come to the market with her. Aunt Evelyn wanted someone to read to her by the fire. No one asks what I want, except for you."

He looked her over with the gaze of a hungry lion and whispered, "What do you want, Beth?"

She smiled up at him and he saw in her gaze all the sweetness and innocence that the rest of the world saw, but also a raw sensuality that she saved only for him. "I want to take you in my mouth again, Mr. Laurence. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since last week."

Mr. Laurence fought to suppress a groan. He was already hard and the thought of her sweet pink mouth around his cock was almost enough to set him off. Beth knelt down on the floor and primly smoothed the wrinkles of her dress. He felt like he should die right there and go to hell. She looked like an angel with her loose blonde curls and clear green eyes. She looked up at him like a cherubic painting, but he knew the practiced seductive side of her. She knew what her innocent looks and pretenses did to him and she was keen to play their game. Few women in Victorian England controlled their own fates as Beth did. She'd chosen to remain in the comfort of her family home. Mr. Laurence respected that. As his wife, she would be expected to be out and about in society a great deal and that was not in Beth's nature. She really was shy and retiring, although he saw another side of her.

Their shared attraction had proved difficult to manage under the watchful gaze of society. Mr. Laurence was a respected businessman and Beth was the same age as his grandson, although not a particularly close friend of his. It had gotten to the point where neither of them could properly focus on their duties or their lives in the misery of their separation. It was Beth who had suggested their present arrangement. Initially, Mr. Laurence had been worried about the implications of their liaison, but she insisted their arrangement would be nothing so formal. "No one ever needs to know and we can enjoy each other in private as often as we like," she'd said. Her bright green eyes had looked so hopeful. He couldn't refuse her anything she wanted.

Slowly, Beth undid the buttons of Laurence's trousers, stopping after every one to run her fingers along the length of his erect member. Laurence hissed and Beth giggled. "Don't worry, you'll get your due. If we go too fast, it will be over before we begin. I've been thinking about it for an entire week. I want it to last."

He reached out and cupped her face with his hand, "If I could contrive a way to do it, I'd take you away somewhere quiet and make love to you for days. If we could say I'm an old man and you're my companion or some such nonsense. I'd have you for hours in a real bed and we'd only stop to eat, sleep, and bathe, although I'd take you in the bath as well."

"Mmmm… that sounds lovely," Beth said, as she undid the final button and Laurence's member sprung free from its confines. It was large and thick and she could feel it throbbing in her hand.

She ran her tongue down its length and he cried out softly, "Beth, please."

She looked up at him somberly and nodded, before she took the entire shaft in her mouth. Laurence was happy to give Beth all the control in their sexual liaisons, but Beth for her part was helpless to resist anything he requested. Whenever her family inquired about how she felt about their new neighbor, Beth was quick to say that she was grateful to him for letting her practice on his piano and that she admired him as a model of civility, but never anything more. That she loved him desperately was a secret well known to her own heart, but kept to herself.

She had taken him in her mouth for the first time during last week's rendezvous, but she found herself unequal to the task. He was so large and her mouth was so small. He hadn't seemed disappointed at all, but she'd resolved to make it up to him. All week, she'd been practicing with any long vegetables she could get her hands on without being noticed. She thought surely if she could manager a whole carrot, she could manage Laurence.

This time she took him all in at once, swirling her tongue around his shaft, imagining he was a fine lollipop. She watched as his head fell back and he was lost in the sensation. Beth felt proud of herself. Laurence thought only of her pleasure in their encounters and she often worried as she walked home that he was far more generous than she. She sucked on the tip as she came to it, before working her way back down to his balls.

After several minutes, Laurence gripped her firmly by the shoulders. His eyes were dilated and he looked feverish. "Please," he said hoarsely, and nothing more. _Good_, Beth thought, _let him see how it feels to be driven mad with desire. That is what he always does to me._ Dutifully, Beth stood and made her way over to the large desk in the center of the room. She skillfully gathered all of her skirts in her hands and hoisted them over hips. She leaned her torso over the desk until it touched her chest, leaving her exposed butt and thighs at a slightly higher angle.

Beth looked over at Laurence with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as though she'd just been caught stealing sweets from the kitchen. She winked at him and he lost all restraint. It was the combination of Beth's real and perceived innocence (she really was innocent in the ways of society if not the ways of the flesh) that made her so irresistible. He'd been shocked when she proposed their current arrangement, but also totally unable to refuse her. Her innocence, combined with a shocking taste for the wanton brought him to the height of arousal every time they were together.

Laurence ran his thumb along her folds. She was wet and ready for him. He entered her in one stroke and was rewarded when she cried out in response. Still, he was ever wary that the servants might overhear them. He would never let anything take away Beth's happiness and a rumor about the two of them would surely make her unhappy. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her, "There must be no more noise," he whispered. Silently, struggling to retain any presence of mind, Beth took the folded handkerchief and placed it at the front of her mouth, where she could bite down on its folds and suppress her moans. She knew they had to be quiet, but she was lost in the heat of desire.

Laurence withdrew almost entirely and then pounded into Beth again with force. His balls slapped against the round flesh of her buttocks and they both sighed heavily with pleasure. "You're like an angel sent to comfort me in my old age," he whispered, planting wet kisses along her neck as he pumped his cock in and out of her.

Beth could feel the pressure of her release building as her tight inner walls clenched and released his member, matching his rhythm. Sometimes, in the middle of coitus like this, Beth knew things about herself with certainty, things she'd never thought about before. In this state of heightened pleasure, she felt like her truest self and like someone else entirely, someone unafraid to say what she wanted. "I want you to fuck me like this every night," she said. "I want to crawl into bed with you and call your name until the servants talk. I don't care what people will say." After that, she had no more words or thoughts. She was aware that she was making a low keening sound. She was so close to her release, she couldn't help her body's instinct to beg for it.

Laurence plunged into with long irregular strokes as his cock shot a stream of white hot cum into her body. At the same time, he reached around the rounded flesh of her thighs and brushed his fingers over the sensitive nub beneath her brown curls. At the small stimulation, Beth's inner walls spasmed again and again as she found her own release and milked his cock for every drop of cum.

For a moment, Laurence collapsed on top of her, allowing his full weight to rest on her small form. Beth sighed contentedly and nuzzled his neck with her own. Eventually, the sound of their regular breathing returned and they came back to the full color of reality. Laurence eased himself out of her and proceeded to button his trousers. Beth righted herself from the desk and rearranged her skirts. There was a healthy bloom on her rosy cheeks and Laurence marveled that he had any part in making her look so happy.

There was a tightness in his chest as he looked at her. He loved Beth and wanted her to be happy. He knew that she valued her simple life with her parents and he never wanted to take her away from it. That said, every time she left after one of their afternoons together it nearly broke him. "You'd better go back, my dear. Your mother will wonder how many hours you can spend practicing Chopin without showing some improvement."

Beth smiled shyly at him, revealing the gap in her front teeth. Sometimes she was shy after their encounters, as though she'd revealed more about herself than she intended. "I meant what I said, Laurence. I want to spend every night with you and every day in your company. We get along so well, I don't think it would be any great leap for us to live together. I know it would be strange at first. You've lived alone for so long, but with Mother and Father just down the road, I don't think I'd be too homesick. I know you'd never prevent me from visiting them as often as I wanted."

Laurence was stunned. He'd asked Beth for her hand months ago, before she'd suggested their arrangement. He hadn't wanted to take anything from her, only to give her his name, his protection, and his fortune. To give her choices, to give her pleasure and companionship. She'd flatly refused his offer, but a few days later she'd come to visit him and proposed their current arrangement. What she said now was a shock to him. "My darling, are you sure it's what you want? I'd never pressure you to go out in society more than you pleased, but there will be gossip. There's no getting around it. Will you be alright with the stares when we go out and perhaps the comments? People can be very unkind with something they don't understand."

"I can manage anything as long as you are with me. I've been thinking that I didn't want my life to change, but the truth is that it's changed already. It changed as soon as I fell in love with you. There's no way for things to go back to the way they were before, whether we marry or not. I can never again be happy without you. You've been so kind, never again raising the subject of marriage after I said I didn't want it. But I do want you and marriage is the best way for me to have you. Will you speak to my father?"

"I'll call on him at once. I imagine he'll be very shocked, so we must be prepared to give him time to get used to the idea. He may even be angry, but I'm confident that with time and patience, nothing can keep us apart."

He embraced her and she thought the sound of his beating heart was the most comforting noise she knew. She could have the same happiness as her bolder and more beautiful sisters. She could have a husband and children and not go far away from the life she loved at the cottage. For the first time in her life, Beth was happy she did not long to go away from home and have adventures. She would leave that up to her sisters and look forward to a quiet life with Laurence. It would be a wonderful life.


End file.
